


Man Door Bus Hand Hook

by gulpereel



Category: Kamen Rider Decade
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horror, Character Death, Disturbing Themes, Horror, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-24 02:47:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18160472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gulpereel/pseuds/gulpereel
Summary: Basically, it's an AU where Tsukasa is a bus driver inspired by the recent Zio episode. Except, when Tsukasa picks up a mysterious passenger one night, things start to take a turn for the worst. Please take note of the tags!





	Man Door Bus Hand Hook

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! This is going to be a bit of a weird work, just warning you! I wanted to try writing something creepy and horror themed as I've been watching too many horror youtube videos and well, I guess I was just inspired by recent Zio happenings! If you can't guess by the title, this isn't that serious, just someone wanting to try out something new.

Tsukasa had originally thought the change of shift would be good.

He was often loud about his dislike of shifts that dealt with the school hours, of loud kids. He didn't so much mind the quiet day time moments, but it was usually ruined as soon as it hit late afternoon. Driving a bus, it was already kind of stressful, but kids as a distraction on top ruined any sort of peacefulness he could achieve. Sure it was only a few hours a day in the morning and afternoon, but it was beginning to chip away at him, especially considering this whole bus driver thing was only meant to be a part-time no hassle gig while focusing on his photography. These complaints he'd constantly air out after a shift to his boss, to other drivers even but on one afternoon, as he was about to change over with someone tasked with the evening shift, they mentioned how they wouldn't mind swapping.

Tsukasa jumped on that chance.

The route he tended to drive was a somewhat quiet route, going between a more central area and a more rural area. During the day, the route was even scenic in some regards, going through empty roads surrounded by trees, some peaceful residential areas. Switching to the evening shift made this quiet route all the more pleasant - only a few, quiet passengers were now all he had to deal with and without a lot of cars on the road, the route was a lot easier to navigate and quicker. The shifts didn't even end that late to him, his last circle ending usually around 11pm, leaving him time in the evening to himself, to lay in the next day and still have time to work on his photography in the afternoon. Overall, the change in shift had been good.

Though, perhaps not recently.

It had all started with one particular passenger - he came on board during roughly the last circle Tsukasa was making and said nothing as he paid for a ticket. Tsukasa had no other people on board so he couldn't help but take note of this man - he knows he hadn't seen him before, but he looked roughly the same age as him, had blonde hair, somewhat trendy clothes. Tsukasa wondered then if this was just some guy who was visiting a lover or parents, a one time deal kind of thing, otherwise he seemed so out of place in this area. He looked more suited for the streets of a bustling city but Tsukasa didn't make a comment, didn't try and make small talk. If they didn't want to talk first, Tsukasa was more than happy to ignore them and just get on with his job. Vaguely out the back of his eye, he noticed the passenger had sat quite far back in the bus, but that only told Tsukasa more not to bother being friendly.

The thing is, when Tsukasa ended up in the more central areas, where he suspected this passenger was going to get off, he didn't. A few more passengers came and went around these areas, then as he was making his way back through the quieter roads, the blonde passenger still sat at the back.

As he announced the final stop for all customers and that the bus terminated for the night, Tsukasa couldn't help but hold his breath as the other silently got off. Tsukasa sat and watched the other man start to walk away into the dead of night and eventually he realised he'd been sitting there staring for at least a few minutes. With a rub to the face, he drove the bus back to the central garage and as he changed out of his uniform, he thought about how it felt like he'd been watched the entire time. 

The next morning, he shrugged it off. Sometimes people like to have time alone, maybe that guy was going through a rough time, maybe it was some kind of break up or family issue. He didn't know why that guy unnerved him so, but in the end he figured he was being ridiculous. He even phoned up Natsumi in the afternoon telling her about it and he felt the tension in his stomach start to leave as she laughed and told him he's been watching too many horror movies lately, right?

He laughed back and agreed - he's probably just a bit tired and to be fair, the roads at night can be a little creepy. He knows sometimes his imagination can get a little too out there. He decides to spend the afternoon developing some of his recent photos in his small, make shift dark room, and as he stares at his photos developing, all he can think about is that strangers face.

Later, the same passenger appeared and the evening had repeated.

Now, it's been almost a week of this.

Tonight, however, is slightly different. The stranger had boarded, but this time instead of sitting towards the back, they sat closely behind where Tsukasa was placed. This, frankly, was a worrying change of pace and Tsukasa realises then tonight he's probably going to have to change up his own approach of dealing with this stranger. The thing is he spends at least the first 10 minutes trying to even figure out what to do, when he can feel eyes watching his back, watching every movement he makes. Eventually, he coughs awkwardly.

"So, uh, live around here?"

He gets no response.

"Got a name at all? If you're going to be using my time as some sort of escape from something, it wouldn't kill you to be friendly you know."

"... Daiki," and Tsukasa is surprised he managed to get anything out of the other, but within that instant he feels the tension built start to ease a little, feels himself start to relax back into his seat. Whatever wild scenarios his mind was flashing at him start to dissipate - this may just all be a case of someone being anti-social than anything else.

"Daiki? I'm Tsukasa, nice to meet you, I'm your bus driver for today."

Daiki doesn't respond back, but for the rest of the evening Tsukasa feels more relaxed about the whole thing - whatever this guys business is it's nothing to do with him.

\---

Tsukasa has a dream that night, of him being in his dark room as per usual. He's developing a new set of photos, letting the first few sit in the first chemical wash. As he moves in the dream, he looks up at the drying line with photos that hang there by small pegs and he notices that every photo is a shot of his back, of his face, his hands and neck, in the point of view of someone behind him. As he looks back at the photos developing, he sees they're more of the same.

He wakes up, not with a start or in any sort of panic, but with a vague sense of unease as he stands in his kitchen. There's not much light coming through the windows today, the sky overcast with fits of rain here and there. As he sips at his first coffee of the day, the dreams details start to leave him and all he's left is an uncomfortable feeling that's hard to shake.

\---

"Huh? He spoke to you?"

"It wasn't a lot," Tsukasa sips at his frap, opposite his long time friend Natsumi in a local coffee shop, one of their weekly meetings they both try to make time for. "Just his name."

"And he's been doing this for how long? This guy is giving creepo vibes," Natsumi gives him a look, stirs at her own drink. "Maybe you should file a complaint? I'm surprised you haven't already, you love complaining."

"Thanks, but, I think this guy is just having some issues, nothing to get too worked up about. Maybe he's lonely?" He pauses then, smirks, "maybe he's totally in love with me? A secret admirer who's too shy to talk?"

"Glad you're taking this seriously, I'm being serious, you're all alone at night, they could murder you no problem, you know."

"Please, he really doesn't look the type - he looks more like an ex-host than anything, if he tries anything, I can definitely take him."

"Oh? He's cute then?"

And Tsukasa sips at his drink and pauses, considers her question, thinks about Daiki and the piercing stare he's not been able to shake from his mind.

"Yeah, actually, he is."

\---

"So, uh, what do you do?" Tsukasa tries to make small talk later that night as Daiki appears on his bus yet again. The man continues to sit nearby now, and Tsukasa can't help but peak at him through the rear view mirror now and then.

"I'm in between jobs right now," Daiki replies, and Tsukasa is a little surprised that he got a response. It makes him feel a little more at ease, that perhaps tonight they can have an actual conversation. It wouldn't be that bad of a thing, it's certainly quiet enough of a journey and lately Tsukasa was even beginning to miss the nosiness of the school kids. The darkness of the roads made him long for a semblance of another person he realises, and damn it if he wasn't going to try and make Daiki be that companion.

"Oh? Same, I'm actually a photographer - a rather good one I'll have you know, but, creative fields can't sustain my lifestyle, so here I am," he wonders if the other is even listening, there's little response back, "I work with film mostly. Portraits, though sometimes I've dealt with nature for a couple of magazines--"

"I'm sure your photos are beautiful," Daiki cuts in then, his voice quiet but the words feel heavy enough that Tsukasa is stunned into temporarily silence. There's almost a tone of knowing, of such confidence in his statement like he's already seen every photo he's taken and concluded his opinion on them. It's odd, but there's again a heaviness in his stomach, but Tsukasa can't tell if it's from nerves or something else.

He clears his throat to break the silence that had fallen again between them.

"Maybe I'll show you some photos one day."

\---

He takes out his camera and looks at Daiki in front of him. He's wearing a stylish outfit, a turtleneck and a white coat with a necklace that looks expensive. His blonde hair is styled, and there's a small smile on his face as he sits in a chair, in front of a white photo backdrop.

He zooms his camera in and takes a photo, then another, then another. Different angles, different framing. Daiki poses when asked, and Tsukasa wonders if he's in between jobs due to a modelling career or something similar. Tsukasa says something and the other laughs, but Tsukasa doesn't know what he said.

He's developing the photos but all he can see on the paper is an empty void of black, staring back at him.

\---

"Wow, you look like shit," Natsumi looks at Tsukasa and contrary to her words, there is a look of concern.

"Thanks, you truly have a way with words," he breezes back, with a bit of an eye roll, trying to convey flippancy as much as he normally does, "I'm fine thanks for asking."

"Well clearly you're not! Should you even be up? Go back home and sleep some more or I'm going to tell Yusuke, idiot," she frowns, they're standing in the regular coffee shop about to order but there's a sincerity in her words that speaks to her stubbornness. Tsukasa feels more tired from it, had just hoped to have a regular coffee with his friend to help slip back into a sense of normalcy but even that was becoming a struggle.

"I'm fine, seriously, I'll be better after some coffee. I just had some weird dreams, that's all."

"Really? What kind of dreams?"

"Weird ones, like I said," and with that he goes to the counter to order. He ignores the look Natsumi gives him as he walks past.

\---

Later that night, Tsukasa rubs his face as he waits on a red light and feels himself yawn loudly. He hopes the energy drink he's been nursing manages to pull through the rest of the shift evening.

Behind him, Daiki sits quietly and that's fine by Tsukasa. At this point, Daiki's presence is no longer as threatening as it once was - in fact Tsukasa was beginning to enjoy it, or at least find it oddly comforting. If anything did actually happen, he had someone with him, he had another pair of hands or someone to call the police or an ambulance. He had someone he could talk with to fill silence up, if Daiki was feeling up to it, or if he was feeling talkative there was someone to listen. Tonight, he wasn't exactly in the mood for talking, but what mattered is they were at the stage where he had options and that at least made him feel more at ease.

Slowly, he had gotten information about the other, as vague as it was sometimes, but it again just allowed Tsukasa the ability to relax around him. The guy was probably just shy, as he'd first logically concluded, and that's fine - Tsukasa finds it a little cute actually. A handsome guy, dressed like a host, but can't even hold a conversation? It's a little endearing.

He yawns again.

"I bet you're wondering what my deal is," Daiki breaks the silence then, and Tsukasa perks up, casting a glance at Daiki through the mirror.

"What makes you think that?" It just comes natural to him to act dumb unfortunately.

"Any normal person would be wondering, this isn't normal for someone to do this."

"You're not wrong," Tsukasa snorts a little, wonders what's gotten into the other, "but I just figured you have your own reasons. I'm just the bus driver."

"You don't want to know about me?"

"I never said that."

A silence falls between them again, and Tsukasa wonders if that's all he's going to get out of the other for tonight, but Daiki continues.

"I'm having relationship issues right now," there's a pause and Tsukasa feels more awake, at least more alert from excitement of beginning to unravel the mystery that is Daiki. "My ex, we've been constantly on and off, he's so cruel about it. He just leaves me, goes off with someone else, and doesn't let me know where he is, who he's with, what he's up to. That's cruel, isn't it? I really loved him, but he kept on doing that to me. I felt like I needed a break."

"And this is you taking a break?"

"It's odd, isn't it?"

Tsukasa chews over the information, sighs. It's odd but love makes people do strange things he supposes.

"Guy sounds like a real ass hole."

\---

As Tsukasa opens his door to his apartment, he feels more tired than ever before. He turns on a light and throws himself on his sofa and stares at his phone, a few texts from Natsumi, a few from Yusuke, a few new emails.

The shift had been the same as any, but the recent nightmares had worn him down, had been getting more and more unsettling since that last big conversation with Daiki. He wonders if he's got some deep anxiety he has to confront, perhaps it's something to do with their budding friendship, maybe even relationship, but Tsukasa can't place it. He wonders if telling him about his love life meant something, that Daiki wants him to get close, but maybe that's the anxiety - he can't bring himself to cross the boundary between them.

He huffs another sigh and sits back up, lights up a cigarette as he stands up to look out his window. It's dark beyond a few street lights, no one to be seen on the street, neighbouring buildings with their lights off, the residential area he's in never one for being too busy. He stares into the night and he thinks back to the dream of staring at the developed photos void of anything but black.

Letting out a lungful of smoke, he puts out the cigarette into an ash tray and walks into his dark room.

In the red light, he looks at the photos of beautiful scenery, of Natsumi's smiling face, of Yusuke posing, all hung up on the string line above him. He feels silly then, for even just thinking that he was going to look up and see them all black, all void of life like in his dreams. He reaches up, grabs a few down to put to the side, promising himself that tomorrow he'll take some new ones and replace them, perhaps of some more scenic shots now that the weather was beginning to clear up lately.

Then, he hears the sound of something banging in the living room and suddenly the feeling of normalcy he was trying to reclaim leaves him all at once.

With held breath, he stands there in the red light and waits. He waits, and waits, and after what feels like eternity, he exits the room back into the living room.

There's nothing amiss, except the ash tray lays on the floor, cigarette butts and ash lay scattered on his rug and he lets out the breath he'd been holding and starts to laugh.

He's tired - he must've just put it on the edge of the table. What an idiot, he thinks.

\---

As he looks at the photos in the tray, they aren't black voids, but images that overlap. Faces blur into others, places blur into faces, multiple people can be seen sometimes and he feels like they're people he knows but he doesn't know. Above him, every photo is in a similar state, and he reaches up and takes hold of a picture of a young man with dark hair overlapped a few times, in different outfits, making different faces, but all looking at the camera. He knows it's Daiki he's looking at, but he doesn't know why he knows that.

\---

Tsukasa sits at the wheel thinking about how it's been a few weeks since he's met Daiki and wonders what would be the next move to take. He wants to talk to the man outside of this little world of theirs, wants to sit down with him, have a coffee and tell him that he just feels such a pull to him it's starting to get to him. Tsukasa knows that would be a lot to say at once, so he wonders if tonight he should just ask the other for coffee first and foremost.

He's about to say something, when the bus starts to slow down, before coming to a stop. Tsukasa can't help but swear under his breath as he tries to restart the engine, tries to get it going as this dark, empty road is the last place he wants to be stuck along. There's a few more attempts before he's swearing more openly and looks behind at Daiki.

"Hey, uh, I think the bus is broke," he tries to give a smile, like it's all just an annoying, silly mishap. "I'm going to have to call for help, maybe you should ring someone to pick you up? I don't know how long it'll be before I get someone over."

He opens his phone then, ignores Daiki as he starts to call up someone at the central garage, hoping something can get sorted soon.

He's waiting for the rings, and then he feels something against his neck and then there's nothing.

\---

He wakes up on cold floor slowly. He doesn't feel too disorientated, or as much as he expecting, but his body feels heavy and he's got a slight headache. He looks at his hands on the floor, the once white gloves now dirty, but it's a floor beneath them, not a road or grass and leaves. He's inside somewhere - he can hear the patter of rain against metal above him - and there's artificial light coming from a corner, probably from some kind of lamp. He tries to sit up then, tries to recollect memories from whatever point B this is to what point A could be.

He can't feel his uniform hat on his head anymore, something small he notices as he sits up, starts to look around. He's at least thankful he's not tied up or naked, but there's still a heavy feeling of fear inside of him that makes it hard to breath. He knows it's cliche, but the past few weeks play back to him in his mind, or more specifically he thinks about the concerned face Natsumi made at him, asking a theoretical question of 'what if.'

He finally spots Daiki sitting on a crate not to far away, in his hands he's holding an alien looking object like a gun. He's watching Tsukasa with a neutral, unreadable expression and Tsukasa wonders if he'd been played this entire time or did something break between them and he hadn't even noticed. Was there even something to break to begin with?

"Are you," Tsukasa's tongue feels heavy in his mouth, "going to kill me?"

Daiki doesn't respond, just looks at him.

"If I did anything to offend you, I uh, Natsumi always says I have a big mouth, and it'll come back to bite me in the ass one day, and I guess it has, but I really don't mean anything I say, so if we just talk it out I'm sure--"

"This doesn't suit you," Daiki interrupts and Tsukasa falls silent, the panic welling inside him peters out and suddenly he feels more helpless than before. Daiki moves off the crate then, starts walking towards him, and he shuts his eyes and lets out a shaky breath. He hopes whatever death lies for him is painless in that moment, but then he hears the rustle of fabric and he's staring directly into a crouched Daiki's face.

"Who are you?" He asks, in his mind at least the stranger owes him that but he doesn't get a response, or at least there's a small hesitance from the other as he opens his mouth then shuts it as in weighing his options.

It's then he feels lips meet his. The kiss is chaste, but seems to last for minutes, a gentle press of lips against his own as he stares into the eyes of a man he thought he knew. There's a grip on his chin that makes it so he can't pull away, and the hold is firm but he feels fingertips stroke at his skin tenderly.

As Daiki pulls back, Tsukasa reaches up to take a hold of Daiki's wrist as if to stop the other from getting back up.

"Is this what this is? All this? Are you an idiot? I was going to ask you out, and now you do all this? What an awful prank, you're an awful guy, you and your ex deserve each other, but I'll forgive you, let's go back to the bus, I'll forgot you did this, let's--"

He feels hands around his neck squeezing tightly and he lets out a small, weak gasp. It's like a vice tightening and compressing his breathing and he starts to cough, to choke as he stares into Daiki's eyes yet again. He reaches hands up to try and pull the others away, but his body starts to feel light and eventually he can't even feel his hands.

"All you fakes disgust me," Daiki starts to speak over the sounds of Tsukasa struggling to keep conscious, "you all have his face, but you're all nothing like him. Every world, there you are, but you're not Tsukasa, you're just a fake pretending to be him." Tsukasa feels the hold on his throat tighten, as if in anger, his vision is starting to get blurry, the sound of rain above them starting to grow more distant, "it's taking a long time to get rid of all of you, but I have to. Only the Tsukasa I know should exist, I hope you understand, right? Tsukasa? That's what you'd want, I know that."

As Tsukasa starts to fade out into unconsciousness, he doesn't understand why he has to die.

Before he fades out completely, he wonders why Daiki's eyes looks wet.

\---

As Daiki lets the corpse down to the floor gently, he gives the now growing cold lips a final kiss. He starts to get back up and he can't help but look down at the corpse that shares Tsukasa's face but isn't him. He wonders if Tsukasa were to ever die, would he look as beautiful? Probably more so actually, the body below him isn't Tsukasa so it stands to reason it would be different.

He doesn't look behind as he steps into the next world.


End file.
